Because you can't have depths without surfaces.
Linda Grant, thinking about clothes, books and other matters.
Pure Collection Ltd.
Net-a-porter UK

Tuesday 27 November 2007

Some site changes


This site has been running for coming up to a month. I am going to make some small changes.

If you would like your site to be linked to this one in the blogroll, please either put the URL in the comments below or email it to me at lindagrantblog[at]googlemail[dot]com (I'm sure you can work out that the bits in [] are to deter spam and know how to do it properly) with Blog add in the subject line

If you would like to be emailed a weekly digest of Thoughtful Dresser posts, send your email address to the same address as above, with Digest in the subject line. Nothing further will be done with these email addresses, they won't be sold or given to anyone else or seen by anyone but me.

Finally, I will shortly be making a cautious experiment with Google Adsense. We'll see how it goes.

Some London sample sales


Nicole Farhi sale

Massive reductions on all of the Farhi collections for men and women. Plus shoes by Scorah Patullo.

This is a great chance to stock up on Farhi basics. 28 November (10am to 6pm), 29 November (10am to 7pm), 30 November (10am to 6pm) and 1 December (10am to 4pm); Barbican Exhibition Centre, Hall 2, Golden Lane, London, EC2.

Ghost Warehouse Sale – 28 November to 2 December

Massive reductions on the Ghost range. Current season and past season’s stock available.

28 November to 2 December (11am to 7pm every day except Sunday 11am to 5pm) 20th Century Theatre, 291 Westbourne Grove, London, W11.

Lulu Guinness Sample Sale - 28 to 29 November

Pick up Lulu Guinness handbags and accessories at sample prices...

Plus accessories and home wears at up to 75% off. 28 and 29 November (10am to 7pm); Ground Floor, 87-91, Newman Street, London, W1T 3EY.

Four Marketing Sample Sale - 29 and 30 November

Stone Island, CP Company, Evisu, Superfine to name a few...

Womenswear from McQ Alexander McQueen, Superfine, Evisu, True Religion and C.P. Company. Menswear from Evisu, Stone Island, C.P. Company, True Religion, RAF by Raf Simons, McQ, Fake London and Oki-Ni. Underwear by Dolce & Gabbana and D&G. With 50 to 70% off the retail price. 29 November (8am to 6pm), 30 November (8am to 4pm). 20 Garrett Street, London, EC1Y 0TW.

Frost French Festive Frolics – 29 November

Expert shopping advisors, champers and 15% off any purchases…

The FrostFrench team of uber-stylists will be there to offer top class advice and recommendations for getting the perfect party look. Customers that quote ‘FrostFrench Festive Frolics’ will receive a special 15% discount. Sadie and Jemima may even make an appearance, if you fancy asking them for some shopping tips. 29 November (10am to at least 8pm); 22-26 Camden Passage, Islington, London N1, 70 Burlington Arcade, London, W1, 20 Foubert’s Place, London, W1

Religion Christmas Sample Sale - 29 November to 2 December 2007

Religion, Buddhist Punk, Bolongaro Trevor and House of the Gods.

29 November (2pm to 9pm), 30 December (11am to 8pm), 1 December (11am to 8pm) and 2 December (11am to 5pm). Unit 4-5, Dray Walk, The Old Truman Brewery, London, E1.

Amanda Wakeley Sample Sale - 30 November to 1 December

Samples from A/W 07 at 70% off...

Stock up on Amanda Wakeley classics from past season's and A/W 07 at massive reductions. There will be previous season's stock available at up to 85% off! Sizes range from 8 to 16 so there's something for everyone. 30 November (10am to 9pm) and 1 December (10am to 5pm); The Music Rooms, 26 South Molton Lane, Mayfair, London, W1K 5AB.

Designer Sale UK - 30 November to 2 December

Over 70 designers from big names to up-and-coming starts of the future with up to 90% off...

30 November (11am to 9pm), 1 December (11am to 8pm) and 2 December (11am to 5pm); The Bridge, Atlantis Building, Brick Lane, London, E1 6RU.

UPDATE

Click here for a voucher which gives you 20% off everything at Selfridge's from Friday to Sunday, except cosmetics which is 10% off

UPDATE
The Neiman Marcus designer sale has started with free shipping use the code WINTER

Poll: Can you dress well at any size?


This week's poll asks whether it is possible to dress stylishly, with chic and elegance at any size?

Some would argue that true style comes from within, others would say that the range of clothing offered by the fashion industry is so limited as to restrict larger women's freedom to dress well. Notice, I say larger women, since size 0 women are well-catered for.

I will be returning to this subject at greater length, but for now, just go vote, on the right.

And go and look at the Manolo for the Big Girl

The good stuff wins


This week's Thoughtful Dresser poll asked whether Olay was just as good as Creme de la Mer, and the race ran neck and neck until I started to worry about a Bush-Gore recount, in the end the good stuff pulled ahead to win.

Here are my own thoughts on the matter. Until I was thirty I never wore a moisturiser. Every pot of what I called gunk broke me out in spots. Huge, volcano-like three dimensional objects rose on the right cheek, pulsating with pus. Everything I tried from L'Oreal to Body Shop came to the same end: bad skin.

One day, when I was living in Vancouver, I was wandering through a department store when I saw a Shiseido counter with a gizmo which took some kind of in-depth photo of your skin and what its future would be. Despite the putative spots, my cheekbones were dry. So I bought a lotion thing, put it on, and a couple of days later could no longer stand the feeling of unmoisturised skin. My face felt, somehow, more supple, younger.

When I moved back to London, Shiseido had not yet launched so I went back to Body Shop - spots! - then to Clarins. And from Clarins to Estee Lauder, to Lancome, back to Shiseido and probably every brand in the beauty counter. Periodically I went cheap and cheerful, and each time the same thing happened. I broke out.

My conclusion was that it was not so much the ingredients of expensive skincare that worked for me but the forumulation. Cheap skin creams don't seem to be absorbed properly by my face; they lie there like a greasy layer.

I'd just love to tell you about the reasonably priced, organic skincare secret every British woman in the know only shares with her best friend. If I knew that secret I'd tell you. The truth is awful. Here it is:

My skin has never tried a Creme de la Mer product it doesn't like.

I know. It is hideously expensive, even more in Britain than the US, so I get it brought over for me, twice a year. I use the tinted moisturiser in the morning if I'm not going out and wearing make-up, and the full whack cream in the evening, which you warm between your fingers until it resembles a serum, than pat it on the skin. When you wake up in the morning there's a baby's bottom on your face.

What can I say? Truth hurts.

Thought for the day


It is amusing to observe in every age the ingenuity of dress in changing the human figure. Hannah Farnham Lee 1780-1865